Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-06-02
CALIFORNIA WOODS.
THEIR EFFECT WHEN PROPERLY
POLISHED AND FINISHED.

Figures Gnd Markings Accounted For.
Handsomest Woods for House Decora-
tion-Growth of the Laurel-Leading
Fancy woOds-Queer Figures.
S0h, yes" said the architect, natural
woods are now being used very extensively
for the interior finish of expensive houses.
Here is the plan of house which we are now
building in San Mateo, and, as you see, all
the ceilings are in panels, and there on the
side of the rooms are wainscotings Of oak OF
course, this is a very expensive house, as the
oak is of the best and comes from the east"
SHow long has this fashion been in vogue!"
asked the reporter.
swell, natural wood interiors have been
used to some extent in the houses of wealthy
people for the past eight years, but recently
they have come greatly into demand In
fact, the architectural tastes of Californians
In general, and of San Franciscans m par
ticular, think, are vastly improving. The
woods for interiors, of course, TO be used ad-
vantageously must be hard woods. Cal
ifornia laurel, white cedar, redwood, eastern
maple and oak and Mexican mahogany are
generally used, and you have no idea what
pretty effect they make when properly pol
ished and finished As you know, nearly all
these woods have naturally pretty figures and
lines in them, and their surfaces look much
handsomer than paper or painted boards"
Talking about natural figures" interrupt
ed dealer in fancy woods, who was listen
ing to the conversation, II have seen some
very pretty and unique ones on the natural
wood, and in my museum have a number of
interesting specimens / find that the pretti-
est figures are generally on the wood of trees
which grow in a marshy or well irrigated
place"
"How do you account for thatP asked the
reporter.
@Well,n replied the wood dealer, GI think
that the bark outgrows the twig, and will
therefore wrinkle. When the twig grows the
wood will, Of course. eli up all the wrinkles
and cavities in the bark, and its surface will
therefore be marked and rifled- This is what
makes the figures on the wood. Sometimes,
also, the bark runs through the heart OF the
tree This is fact not generally known, but
to it attribute the existence of so many hol-
low trees in the forests of California, for the
bark will be ignited from any prairie fire
and burn through the core of the trunk, leav-
ing the tree hollow"
THE HANDsoMEsT WOODS.
"What do you consider the handsomest
woods of the coast for house decorationF
"Weil, / scarcely care to commit myself on
that point" was the reply. "The fact is that
she beauties of California and Oregon hard
woods are but little known, and it is only a
few who have studied the subject who are
aware of the undeveloped industry existing
in the figured woods of this coast. At the
last mechanics fair there was an excellent
Iii 81
surprised everybody. 1t was not supposed
that our forests were so rich in such desirable
growths As for the Oregon woods, l think
the aso is very pretty. 1t is figured with
concentric curves and admits of a very high
polish The Oregon maple is the most beau
tiful wood have ever seen, think. Its
color is light yellow, and its surface is
covered with small, wavy lines, which look
like snowhakes. 1t reminds one much of a
sheet of FURNISHED gold, and when the gas
light plays upon its FURNISHED surface the eff
feet is grand like most of our woods, how
ever, it is but little known The Oregon ma
pie is also pretty wood. Its surface is COW
cred with small parallel lines, close together"
"But tell me something about our own
woods, interposed the reporter.
swell, take the laurel, was the reply.
California laurel is figured beautifully, but,
unfortunately for it, it has been confounded
with pepperwood and myrtle, which are softer
woods and rot quicker. Our sycamore, which
has only recently become known as a fancy
wood, is also very prettily figured Its grain
is like that of the beech. and has something like
waving vertical lines close together. Why,
before its qualities as a fancy wood were
known, it was used for the manufacture of
tobacco boxes. In New York it is called but
tonwood- Sycamore is very strong, and can
be used advantageously for veneering. Red
wood is also handsome wood for interiors.
1t admits of a very high polish, and for a
cheap wood is probably one of the best in the
market. The best figures on redwood are
generally found in the burls, or large knots
But few figures ara found in the body of a
redwood. Laurel is also good hard wood.
A curious fact about laurel is that the tree
looks as if great tree had grown and then
melted down and another tree had grown
from the residue of the first. This curious
growth makes q large ground burl, from
the center of which the tree grows A SPLEEN
did specimen of such formation may be
seen in Laurel grove, near San Rafael The
burl of that tree is fully fifteen feet in diam
eter, and the tree grows from the center of
itn
LEADING FANCY WOODS
SWhat are our leading fancy woodsgn
swell, / should say walnut, sycamore,
laurel and redwood are ih the lead. They are
all very prettily figured. A good piece of